


Dude Looks Like a Lady

by bluegold



Category: Smallville
Genre: Big Bang Challenge, Gender or Sex Swap, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-12
Updated: 2009-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-16 06:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluegold/pseuds/bluegold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roses are red,<br/>Violets are blue,<br/>Pink kryptonite makes you a girl,<br/>What will Clark and Lex do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dude Looks Like a Lady

**Author's Note:**

> Betas: Chosenfire28, shhbabe, twinsarein  
> Disclaimer: I *sniff* do not own any of the characters in this story  
> Spoilers: General All Episodes, through season eight  
> Authors Notes: MC = Missy Peregrym (Reaper, Heroes, Stick it!) with a dash of Clark. (Green eyes, blushing habit, black hair, etc…)  
> Based in an AU season 6: Post Nemesis.

Clark sat on the edge of the dock remembering, the conversation he had with Lex in the caves. The fact that he had thought Lex would leave him. The fact that Chloe hadn’t found anything illegal for once made him wonder even more. 

Clark looked into the water and shrugged, he had swum the Lake before, and it hadn’t harmed him. And it would be better than running; he still felt a little off after all the kryptonite exposure. Making his decision Clark stripped down to his boxers and jumped into the lake. 

He was swimming lazily as he tried to understand Lex. Lana had lost their baby and left. It did not seem as if she was returning, and her last email had spoken of moving to Spain after another few days in London. 

Clark feeling better decided to see if his other powers had returned. Diving under the water he attempted to use his X-ray vision, but did not see very far in the murky water at all. He did make out a large shape of some kind moving under the water, and wondered briefly if the lake had a sea monster. 

But that wasn’t enough for him to detect the glowing, pink stones, until he cut open his hand on one. 

Pain speared him, making him cry out, from the shock of it. Water entered his lungs. Clark fought his way to the still surface of the lake, glad that it wasn’t a rushing body of water. Weak and trembling, nauseous from the water he’d inadvertently swallowed, Clark stumbled towards his clothes. He’d just managed to pull on his shirt when his body exploded in pain. Arms and legs flailing, Clark screamed as he felt his insides boil. He collapsed onto the rocky shore of the lake, losing consciousness from the agony that ripped through him. 

Clark awoke to laughter, and darkness. He had no idea how long he’d been out but the sun had set. Not too far from where he lay, it sounded like the current crop of Smallville high jocks were having one of their lakeside bonfires. Clark remembered the sounds with a shudder. The group that had strung him up as the Smallville homecoming scarecrow had sounded just like that. 

Clark fumbled in the dark for his pants and boots but all he saw was one shoe. There was no sign of the sweats he’d been wearing earlier. The shirt he’d been putting on when he passed out was covered in mud. The jocks’ party sounded very close and Clark decided it was time to beat a hasty retreat home before someone saw him. 

Turning to run, Clark only made it a couple steps before his boxers were around his ankles, tripping him and landing him face first in the mud. Groaning, Clark stood and pulled up the boxers, only to have them start sliding down his hips again. They felt strange on him, not fitting they way they always did. He pulled them away from his skin to look down. Blinking, he tried to understand what he was seeing when he heard voices behind him.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? What’s a little thing like you doing out all alone at night?” 

Clark blinked and looked around him before looking back towards the jock who was leering at him. Clark glanced down at the hand holding up his boxers. He could still see the cut under the blood, which meant that he did not have his powers, his boxer’s were falling off, and he was being eyed by a group of football players that appeared to have plans for him that clearly did not want to make him the newest scarecrow. Apparently Clark hadn’t gotten the memo that the Smallville high football team was now gay. When two other guys joined the first, Clark frowned. 

Clark watched as the guys approached him slowly, as if he were an animal they were trying not to spook. He had the river to his back, and woods all around. They were trying to box him in. 

Clark glanced once more towards the woods before making his decision. He hoped he would not be affected by the kryptonite in the water if he didn’t dive too deep. Otherwise he would be in a whole lot of trouble in a minute or two. 

“Why don’t you come join us? We’ll have a really good time.” 

Clark took a step back and jumped into the water, swimming hard, knowing the highway was not that far away and the jocks would never get their precious letterman jackets wet. 

Swimming for all he was worth, he lost the boxers with a kick of his legs, and continued to swim, pushing himself harder when he heard the all-too-close splash of the football team giving chase. Reaching a bend in the lake, he quickly climbed out and ran towards the road, amazed when he saw headlights in the distance. He was pretty sure where he was and he doubted there was a lot of traffic on this back road, especially at night.

Clark went into the road to flag down the approaching car. Raising his arms, waving them around, made him suddenly hyperaware of how much everything hurt. Maybe the second jump into the kryptonite-infested water wasn’t such a good idea. Clark realized the car was a very expensive sports car just as it stopped, and he groaned inwardly. 

The car screeched to a stop in front of him. Clark stumbled backwards as the driver’s door opened. 

“Are you crazy?” Lex yelled. 

He got out of the car and came at Clark, who saw his face change as Lex got a good look at him. Clark could tell he was moments from blacking out. He just hoped Lex didn’t leave him on the side of the road. He pointed to the woods, sure the football team would be emerging any minute, and opened his mouth to explain. 

“Get in,” Lex growled before Clark could say anything. Clark blinked stupidly at him, and Lex cursed, moving to usher him into the car. He draped his coat around Clark’s shoulders and gently helped Clark into the car. Clark tried to remember the last time Lex had been this kind. 

The next thing he knew, Lex was beside him, and driving at the usual breakneck speed. Lex kept glancing over at him while he shouted instructions into his cell phone. Clark tried to muster up the courage to say something, explain the scene, but his body felt so heavy. He saw the mansion come into view before he passed out completely. 

Lex pulled into his garage and looked over at his passenger, who had clearly fainted. He had seen the wet jocks emerging from the woods and easily pieced together the scenario. Carrying the unconscious body into the manor he was greeted by Dr. Cole, who he had requested meet him at the manor. 

****

Clark woke to the sun beating down on him through stained glass windows. He rolled over on his stomach and instantly felt some discomfort, and rolled onto his back again. He stretched in bed but when he had both arms over his head, he winced at the stiffness and soreness of his muscles. Pulling his arms down, he looked at his hand, noticing that it was neatly bandaged to nearly to his elbow. 

Looking at his hand, again Clark blinked. It seemed smaller than normal, but that didn’t make any sense. He tried to lift the bandage to see if his hand was healed but it was wrapped tight and he could not find the end of the bandage. 

Sitting up, Clark looked around, sure Lex would not have left him unsupervised, even injured. He was sure Lex was nearby. Sliding out of the bed, he stood, and made his way to the bathroom. He had to take care of another pressing problem; then he could deal with Lex. 

He tripped slightly over the hem of the too-long pants he was wearing. He looked at them and frowned; he was wearing silk pajamas and the bottoms covered his feet, and, with his arms at his sides, the sleeves of the top hung over his hands. These had to belong to Lex. Someone, who was most likely fired now, Clark thought with a slight grin, had ordered them much too large, if they fit Clark. 

Standing in front of the toilet, he reached into his pants and blinked. He didn’t do this left-handed often, but it was pretty silly to miss, especially when he was going commando. Clark pulled down the pants further. He looked down and gasped. For a moment, he was close to blacking out again. 

He had to be dreaming, this couldn’t be happening. He pinched himself and winced. He went to the sink and splashed water on his face. He looked into the mirror and someone else stared back at him. The stranger had the same messy black hair and green eyes and the high cheekbones Chloe claimed most girls would kill for, but the line of his jaw was softer and smoother. Hands shaking, Clark unbuttoned the top he was wearing and stared at his breasts. He had breasts. He didn’t have a penis. He was a girl. He, Clark Kent, was a girl. Had he been a girl last night? How would he explain this to Lex if he had left a boy in his bed and came back to find a girl? 

“Wait a minute,” Clark thought. The jocks had not been after Clark. They had been after this girl. Who had been mostly naked in a wet T-shirt, all alone, at night, by the side of the lake on a night when the jocks were having a party, and drunk. Clark had to think, he had to figure out what to say to get out of this situation. But first he had to pee. 

He knew how this worked in theory: he just sat down on the toilet and let nature take its course. Grabbing toilet paper, he cleaned up quickly, not letting himself get distracted exploring down there just yet. He pulled up his pants, rolling the waist a bit to make the length fit right, and made his way back to the bedroom. Clark shakily sat down on the bed, then lay down when sitting didn’t stop his head from spinning. 

He didn’t want to be helpless in Lex Luthor’s manor. Clark had to figure out something to tell Lex that wouldn’t sound like a too obvious a lie. He looked too much like himself for Lex not to question it, to stick his nose in to Clark’s business. Lex always seemed to get involved in every aspect of Clark’s life. He’d want to know why some girl he’d found on the side of the road looked just like Clark. Well, he was adopted. He could be his long-lost sister! 

He had to figure out something to placate Lex, so he could get out of the manor and get home. As soon as he did, he’d call Chloe. He hoped he could get her to believe it was him. Chloe knew him better than almost anyone but it would be easier to prove his identity if he still had his powers. And he had to tell someone who cared about him what had happened to him. He’d need help to get back to the gender he’d been born with. And it would be one less secret to keep. 

“Think, Clark, think.” How could he get out of here? He needed a name. A name he could remember. Kal wouldn’t work as it didn’t sound like a girl’s name. Unless it could be short for something, Kally? No, that sounded like not-quite-Kelly. He needed a name that he would remember. 

While Clark was racking his brain for a name, his body had different ideas. He only knew he’d fallen asleep when he felt his shoulder was being patted, the gentle hand warm through the silk. Blinking sleepily, he looked up at Lex, and nearly jumped out of the bed. Lex put his hands up in the universal I-mean-you-no-harm gesture, and backed away. 

“Hi there. You don’t have to worry, you’re safe here.”

Clark pulled the sheet over himself, not remembering if he’d buttoned up the top after investigating his new chest, and knowing his mother would be ashamed if he went around flashing himself. Not that he could picture telling his mother that he was now a girl.

“Do you remember what happened?” Lex asked gently, and Clark noted how he stayed across the room. Mind still spinning with his half-formed plan, Clark nodded. 

“A doctor looked you over, and wrapped your hand. You sprained your wrist and got a pretty nasty cut on your hand. Your feet were in bad shape, from running in the woods, I would assume.” 

Clark pulled the blanket aside and looked at his feet. They were lightly wrapped. He hadn’t even noticed on his bathroom excursion. He wiggled his toes and could some tightness and some pain. Looking up, he caught a small smile on Lex’s face, and had to admit he looked kind of silly. 

“I’m Lex Luthor. What’s your name?” 

“MC” Clark said, thinking fast. His mother’s initials; he could remember that.

“What was that?” Lex repeated, stepping closer to the bed. 

“MC” Clark watched as Lex frowned and blinked. “MC” he repeated and realized he hadn’t heard anything. Clark coughed to clear his throat. “MC” Still no sound. 

“Can you speak?” Lex asked. 

Clark nodded then realized Lex must be asking about, at this moment, and shook his head. 

“So this is a new development?” 

Clark nodded. 

Lex looked at Clark’s bandaged right hand and wrist and said “I don’t suppose you can write left-handed.” 

Clark shook her head as Lex opened the dresser drawer. There was a pad and a pen sitting inside and he handed it to her. “I know it will be messy, but it will have to do until we can get you a phone.” 

Clark tilted her head in confusion. “Texting.” She nodded testing the pen and frowning when it did not actually write. She placed the pad aside in irritation. 

Lex moved closer and Clark had to fight not to move away. 

“Tilt your neck up.” 

Clark did as she was told. 

“There is no bruising, did those jocks…did they…” 

Clark was surprised that Lex was at a loss for words, and then realized what he was trying to ask and blushed. There really was no way to ask that gently. He touched Lex’s arm, marveling at how small his hand now was. He wondered how it had taken him so long to notice that he was a girl, now that he thought about it. It definitely made more sense than gay football players. With Lex looking at him – her – at Clark, she shook her head. How do I explain this? She decided to start at the beginning. Gesturing at herself, she made walking gestures with her fingers. She repeated it twice before Lex caught on. 

“You were walking.” 

Clark fanned herself. 

“And got hot.” 

Clark nodded, then mimed stripping followed by swimming. 

“You went skinny dipping?” 

Clark nodded again, blushing slightly. Well, she had been a guy at the time, and in boxers, but this would make more sense. 

She yawned, and lay down with a smile, arms folded behind her head, before turning on her side and shutting her eyes. She waited for Lex to catch on. 

“You tanned? Naked?” 

Clark bared a tan shoulder. Chloe always had tan lines after vacations. 

“No tan lines,” Lex nodded. “What happened next? You fell asleep?” 

Clark pointed to her bare, left wrist, and made a circular motion, trying to indicate time passing.

“You slept until night.” 

Nodding, she moved her hand around as though looking for something, before miming putting on a shirt, and searching again and frowning. 

“All your clothes were gone? Except that shirt?” 

Clark nodded. Clark hunched her shoulders and looked over at Lex with an eyebrow wiggle, followed by a look of disgust, then a running motion. She finished off by pointing at Lex. 

“They never touched you,” Lex stated. 

Clark nodded. 

“Are you from Smallville?” 

Clark shook her head. 

“Visiting?” 

Clark shook her head and lifted the sheets peering under them. 

“Looking, searching for something…someone,” Lex said and Clark put the finger she held up down. 

“Who?” 

Clark frowned then mimed rocking a baby. 

“Your baby?” 

Clark’s eyes widened and she shook her head with a frown. Clark and Lex stared at each other, and Clark gave Lex a silly grin. Being MC, he could almost forget all that Lex had done. The way he was going out of his way to help some stranger who couldn’t even talk and had run out of the woods half naked, instead of just dumping her at Smallville Medical Center, made Clark remember the Lex who had been his friend for so long. 

“We can deal with that later, an easier question to answer, what is your name?” 

Clark grinned and Lex stared at her with calculating eyes. She formed her arms into a famous set of letters. 

“Your name can’t be YMCA.” 

Clark shook her head and repeated only two letters. 

“MC Short for?” 

Clark crossed her arms and gave Lex a raised eyebrow. 

“Okay, we’ll save that for when you can communicate.” 

Clark nodded. 

“I came to ask if there was anyone you wanted to call, but that seems like a moot point. Would you like me to make a call on your behalf?” 

Clark shook her head quickly. The only person he could talk to would be Chloe and he didn’t need Lex anywhere near for that conversation. 

“In the meanwhile would you like any breakfast?” 

Clark nodded, and then stood. She hadn’t gone more than a step before nearly tripping over her feet. It was then that she noticed Lex was taller than her. Only by two or three inches but it seemed odd after all these years of towering over the man. 

“Maybe we should get you some clothes. Where were you staying? I could send someone to get your things.” 

Clark opened her mouth and then shook her head, not sure what she would say, even if she could speak. Finally she held up two fingers followed by four. 

“Twenty four? You only planned on staying a day?” 

Clark nodded. 

“And skinny dipping?” Lex asked with a slightly incredulous look.

Clark shrugged and looked away. 

“MC, you are one interesting girl.” 

‘You have no idea,’ Clark thought as she followed Lex into another room. Lex started sorting through them, clearly looking for something for Clark to put on. She wondered briefly who these things belonged to, as they were clearly women’s clothes, and Lex no longer had any of those in his life. Clark refused to consider that they might be Lana’s. 

Lex pulled out a white camisole, a dark green short-sleeved hoodie, and a pair of black shorts, and handed them to Clark. He glanced down at Clark’s feet and then disappeared behind the door to what must be a closet before re-emerging with a pair of black flip flops. 

“I’m not sure I have anything else that will fit you.” 

Clark shrugged, heading back to ‘her’ bedroom, the one she’d awakened in, to get changed. Frowning at the bandages, she returned to the hall to find Lex waiting with a pair of black lace panties. 

“These are clean.”

Clark looked at the thong underwear and shook her head. She drew the line at wearing someone else’s intimates. It was not happening. It wasn’t as if he had anything left to shift in the breeze anyway. Clark gestured her wrist and feet, indicating the bandages. 

“They are water proof.” 

Nodding her thanks, she returned to her bedroom to shower. Clark used the time to get acquainted with her new body. Despite being a girl, she was still muscular, just on a smaller scale. She looked like an athlete. She wondered if she was pretty, but doubted it; she was invisible as a guy and probably would be the same as a girl. 

Washing her hair she wondered at the presence of shampoo but supposed servants stocked the room like a hotel. Toweling off, she got dressed in the outfit Lex had chosen, and realized the cami had a built-in shelf bra. That solved one problem for the time being. A dressed Clark went into the hall and did not see Lex. 

She wondered if she should go down to find him and then realized ‘MC’ would not know the layout of the castle. But anyone would think to go downstairs. Clark was three steps from the bottom when it happened. She stumbled and landed on her back on the bottom of the stairs. Blinking up, she tried remembering ever being this accident prone. She had faked klutzy antics to distract people from the damage she caused doing regular things but her balance had always been fine. Even after her first growth spurt, of about a foot. Lying there for a moment, she was surprised to see feet to her left. 

She waved up at Lex before sitting up. Taking the offered hand, she stood and dusted off her clothes. Lex stared a moment and she wondered if anything had been shifted by the fall. Discreetly checking to make sure all new parts were still in place, she looked at Lex questioningly. 

“I don’t usually have breakfast so there is nothing prepared, but there are plenty of things in the kitchen that we can enjoy. I’m afraid the cook isn’t in residence, however.”

Clark nodded, following Lex to the familiar kitchen and wondered why Lex was helping her. What could he possibly hope to gain from it? It had to be curiosity, and even Lex wouldn’t leave a woman on the side of the road with those idiot jocks closing in. Shrugging, she watched as Lex started pulling items out of the fridge. 

Laughing at the randomness of the items, Clark took the pad that was on the fridge down. Taking the marker, with her left hand she clumsily scribbled out ingredients for omelets and the tools needed, which took the better part of ten minutes. Writing legibly with her left hand was a lot more difficult than she would have first assumed. And if that was the case Lex would have to be the one to do the actual cooking. Grabbing some of the already exposed items, she rinsed the peppers, and made chopping motions towards Lex. Then she set the knife down on the chopping board and looked at Lex expectantly.

Lex took a moment to get it and then, chuckling, set to work. The girl intrigued him, and she seemed to be taking her near miss in stride. Not to mention her loss of voice. Most people would be panicking, demanding doctors, or at least in awe of the mansion. She was taking it in at such ease. But then again, she had been in Smallville less than a day and had decided to skinny dip. And there was still the question of who she was looking for. If the situation hadn’t been so outrageous he would have been sure he was being set up. 

He beat the eggs and then watched MC arrange the next items. When he, flipped the first omelet into the pan, she added cheese to it omelet before indicating he should fold it in half; and to slide it on to the plate. She attempted to give him the plate and he pushed it towards her, moving it to the kitchen island, and handing her utensils. 

Clark smiled as she heard Lex start mixing his omelet, before focusing on eating her own. When it was ready, he sat down across from MC and MC wondered if they could start over. This was a clean slate, and his helping ‘MC’ was reminding Clark of who Lex once was. 

Clark took the first bite of her eggs, savoring it before swallowing. It caught in her throat unexpectedly. Her eyes widened as her throat tried to close in on itself. Lex was up and out of his seat in a flash. He pulled MC out of the stool and began the Heimlich maneuver. With two sharp pulls, the bit of half chewed egg flew out of Clark’s mouth complete with a miniscule sliver of green meteorite. 

Clark coughed and moaned. Gasping when she heard a sound, she looked up at Lex. “Th…Thank you,” she croaked. 

“Of course. But I would hold off on speaking just yet, if I were you. You don’t want to damage your vocal cords. We should get you to a doctor.” 

Clark shook her head. She hadn’t felt the rush of her powers returning, but that could just mean that there was more slivers of kryptonite embedded in her skin elsewhere. She glanced at her hand and remembered her bandaged feet. She had swallowed some l water when she had been in the lake and supposed slivers of Kryptonite could have been there. 

“Why don’t you want to go to the doctor?” 

Grabbing the marker and pad, Clark thought for a moment before scribbling ‘No insurance.’ 

“I can take care of it.” 

Clark frowned, not sure how to put what she wanted to say. She decided, since she was not Clark Kent at the moment, she could just say this without it being taken the wrong way. 

‘I don’t want your money or charity.’

Lex eyed MC for a moment and then nodded. The girl had no clothing, no money, and as far as he could tell no identification unless it was left at the lake. “All right, I can respect that, but I just want to help.”

Clark frowned.

How did she expect to find this person she was looking for? “Who are you looking for? Not your child.” 

Clark looked at Lex a long moment before she started to write. ‘My brother, I think.’ She paused then wrote, ‘It’s complicated, family stuff. Dad died recently.”

Lex must have been reading it as Clark wrote because he stopped Clark to say, “I’m so sorry.” 

Clark smiled sadly at Lex and then wrote, ‘Adopted. I think I have a twin.’

Lex looked stunned. “Do you know your twin’s name?” 

Clark bit his lip, but he found it hard to believe Lex did not notice the resemblance already. ‘Family name. Kent.’ Clark watched Lex’s expression harden when he read that. 

“Are you sure? He is adopted, but others have come to claim him before, and been liars.” 

Clark wondered what to say to that, and realized belatedly that he should have shown some excitement. Instead she wrote, ‘A chance at family is better than being alone, if not I’ve at least made a friend.’ 

“Clark will be more than willing to be your friend; he is that kind of person. If you are his sister, you’re a lucky person. The Kents are a great family.” 

Clark heard something like longing in Lex’s voice when he said that. ‘I meant you, but I haven’t found him, the farm I went to was empty, and then I went wandering and found the lake…’ 

“And here you are.” Lex stared at her. “I will admit there is a certain family resemblance. You should talk to Chloe Sullivan.” 

‘Who?’ 

“She is Clark’s closest friend and a reporter. She can help you learn the truth.” 

‘I thought you said you knew him.’ 

“We are not on the best of terms; I see no reason for that to taint your meeting. Family is an important thing to have.” 

Clark blinked; this was not the Lex he knew. Or it was but he hadn’t seen this Lex in years. He had thought he understood it in the cave; but he was just coming to realize how much he had missed this Lex. This Lex who wanted to help, not for any other purpose but to just make things better for someone. 

They sat back down. MC eyed the eggs and pushed the plate away. Lex smirked but said nothing, instead handing her a glass of fresh juice. MC drank a first tentative sip but when she didn’t immediately start to choke, she drank deeply. 

“Thank you,” MC said after finishing the juice. Her voice was still a bit hoarse but it was still higher than usual. She wondered when she would get a chance to check her body for residual bits of kryptonite. 

“Now that you have some semblance of a voice, is there anyone you would like to call?” 

MC shook her head.

“No one? Family? Friends? Boyfriend?” 

MC wrinkled her nose at the last one and Lex smiled. 

“Girlfriend?” 

“Not anymore,” MC muttered, not realizing what she had just admitted before blushing.

“Love is love,” Lex said with a shrug. MC nodded, smiling faintly. She couldn’t regret the slip; at least she wouldn’t have to worry about Lex hitting on her. That would have just been strange. 

There had been moments when as Clark he had thought Lex may have had feelings for him of a more romantic nature, and throwing him at Lana was Lex’s way of dealing with the issue. Clark had been horrified, before he started to puzzle out what that would mean. 

 

PART II

MC stepped out of the car and looked over at Lex. “Thanks for the ride.” 

“It’s not a problem, if you need anything else feel free to call me,” Lex said handing MC a purple card. She grinned tucking the card into a pocket. He looked up at the talon, and wondered why Lex wasn’t coming in, then realized he likely had better things to do, even on a Saturday than follow around a strange girl. 

She waved as the car sped off of Main street, and turned into the Talon. She looked around and noticed the many glances she was receiving. New girl in town, dropped off by Lex Luthor, was more than enough to turn many heads. 

Running his fingers through his hair he had a moment of surprise to see how much hair there in fact was. He would have to get used to being MC. And find a way to change back into a he. There had to be something in the lake, but diving in to find it didn’t seem like the best idea. 

MC was relived to see that Chloe was in the talon and not in her apartment. He approached the girl and tapped her on the shoulder. 

“Chloe?” 

“Yes? Do I know you?” 

She smiled not noticing the ay that Chloe frowned. “You can say that. Is there somewhere we can talk?” MC said noting that they were still the center of attention. 

Chloe looked over at her for a moment. “Who are you?” 

MC stared for a moment. “Um, someone you kissed so you could get it out of the way and we could be friends.” 

Chloe’s mouth opened and shut a few times. She looked MC up and down before taking a deep breath. “Come with me.” She said leading the way to the apartment upstairs. 

MC followed nervously not sure she could explain this fully to Chloe. That she believed him was one step in his favor. He followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter. He looked up at Chloe but she had gone into the other room. 

MC took that moment to start search the wrapping around her arm for the end. She really wanted to find the last bit of kryptonite. Being a girl was disturbing enough but a powerless one was even stranger. 

MC felt Chloe enter the room, or more specifically what she carried with her. The stomach wrenching lurch before all her limbs felt aflame. Was it her imagination or did it hurt more was her last thought before blackness overtook her completely. 

Chloe gasped at the reaction, and quickly backed out of the room with the stone, Clark had given her just in case. And with the many weird things that happened around Clark she hadn’t had a moment of doubt before accepting the stone. 

She went back into the kitchen and was surprised to see Clark, still unconscious on the floor. That had never happened before; he should have woken up already. He shouldn’t have even fallen unconscious. 

She started trying to move Clark, she could at least get her to the couch, but despite Clark’s smaller frame she was not light. Chloe sighed as she noticed that Clark made just as beautiful a woman as she did a man if not traditionally feminine. 

She was crossing from the kitchen to the living room when the door to her apartment opened. She had left it open in case she had needed to make a quick getaway. She looks up into a slightly confused face as he takes in the scene. 

“Oliver, help me!” 

“Right,” Oliver said moving to lift the legs. 

“So, who’s your friend? It’s a little early to be this trashed.” 

“They’re not drunk; I may have knocked them unconscious.” 

“They? Chloe do you know this person,” Oliver said stepping away from the couch and taking her with him his eyes scanning the room for something to restrain them. 

MC groaned and sat up, blinking at the two blonds. “Ch-“ Her eyes widened as she reached for the waste paper basket and retched her breakfast into it. 

Oliver looked over at Chloe who shrugged. “Uh.”

“How big was that rock?” MC whispered setting the basket down. 

“Sorry, I had to be sure,” Chloe said with a shrug, “it wouldn’t be the first time someone showed up who looked like you.” 

“I don’t even look like me,” Clark muttered looking at Oliver who was frowning. 

“Yes you do,” Chloe said. “Does she look familiar Oliver?” 

“Are you related to Clark Kent?” Oliver asked. 

“No, I am.” 

“What?” Oliver said confused. 

“I’m Clark.” 

“You’re Clark? Clark who?” 

“Clark Kent? Superpowered alien farm boy? Now farm Girl?” 

“Prove it,” Oliver said. 

“I can run faster than Bart, though I can’t out swim Arthur, and when we first met you shot at me with an electrified arrow.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened getting a whole new look at this girl, she was miles of tanned legs, slim muscled body, nice pert. Fingers snapping brought Oliver back to her face, which in fact did look enough like Clark to make him have to agree with his assessment. 

“How did this happen Clark?” Chloe interrupted. 

“There must have been something in Crater Lake.” 

“You swam in Crater lake? The Lake that is full of kryptonite deposits?” 

“I’ve done it before,” Clark muttered sullenly.

“Could you get Arthur to see if he spots any glowing rocks down there?” Clark asked glancing at Oliver. 

“First I would want to make sure whatever happened to you doesn’t happen to him. What exactly happened?” 

“I don’t know, I just sort of work up this way. And my powers seem gone too.” 

“Wait what?” Oliver asked. 

“But Kryptonite still works on you, every time you lost your powers-“ 

“You do this often?” Oliver interrupted. 

“I think there might be some residue under this,” MC said holding up his bandaged arm. 

“Let me see,” Oliver said pulling a chair closer to the couch where she was sitting. He easily started to unwrap the bandages. 

“Okay so when did you go to the lake? Dawn?” Chloe asked glancing at her clock. 

“No, yesterday.”

“Clark, where did you get these clothes?” Oliver asked. 

“Lex.” 

“Lex Luthor?” Oliver snapped tightening his hold on MC who cried out in pain. 

“Oliver!” 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said loosening his hold. “Jesus Clark, this is bad, are you sure the bone isn’t broken?” He said looking at the black and blue arm. Carefully touching the skin. Despite the bruising the skin wasn’t broken. 

“There is nothing there, now tell me what happened with Lex,” Oliver demanded even as he rewrapped the arm. 

MC went on to explain how she had encountered Lex and the story she had come up with. Watching Chloe as she typed away rapidly on her laptop. 

“Well we could work with this,” Oliver said as he tucked the last end of MC’s bandage away. “Ever since our last strike he hasn’t been putting anything useful on any networks. It makes him impossible to hack.” 

“What does that have to do with me?” MC asked. 

“You can get close to Luthor find out what he’s hiding. It’s not as if he will suspect ‘MC’ who has no connection to anyone.” 

“Except Clark,” Chloe pointed out. “You look like your own sister, oh by the way your name is Mary Clara Abrahams.” 

“Mary Clara?” MC asked confused. 

“Yeah, she died of SIDS a few weeks after she was adopted. I just lose the death records, and add a few documents and you will exist.” 

“Thanks Chloe, but do we need all that?” 

“Clark, um MC, we don’t know how long this will last. It could be a few days or it could be a few weeks. I also added had Clark take a bus out of Metropolis yesterday to Montana. Just in case. It’s an open ended ticket.” 

“Good job Oracle,” Oliver said with a grin. “But seriously MC we can do this.”

“How? I’m supposed to be finding my brother Clark, if he’s out of town why would I stay?” 

“Your apartment just burned down,” Chloe said turning the monitor around. He saw the AP headline, “Apartment fire leaves dozens homeless, in Manhattan, KS.” 

“I’ve never even been there.” 

“Its Kansas, it doesn’t matter, just don’t talk too much about it.” 

“Great,” Clark sighed. “What about curing me?” 

“I’ll get people on it, but we have to be discreet, we can’t have people noticing Queen Industries dredging up a lake.” 

“What about Arthur?” 

“He’s in the Amazon with Bart checking up a lead. It will be a while before he can get back. And we don’t want what happened to you to happen to him.” 

“I don’t think it would,” Chloe pointed out. “It would likely have an effect completely unrelated to the one it has on Cl- MC.” 

“For better or worse?” 

“With meteor rocks it’s a colorful game of Russian Roulette,” Chloe said. “You’ll need some clothes.” 

“Perfect, I’ll take you to Metropolis, we can arrange for you to accidentally bump into Lex.” 

“Lex is way too paranoid for that to work. He’ll just think I’m a stalker and have security haul me off.” 

“Clark, you make a very pretty girl, its disturbing actually. Lex would be a fool to turn down company with you.” 

“Okay, stop right there,” Chloe said. “How far do you expect this to go?” 

“We need to do whatever it takes to bring down Lex. It is for the safety of everyone.” 

“So you want Clark to prostitute himself?” Chloe snapped arms crossed. 

“No, but I want MC to get Lex to think she might be interested, if he gets a more mundane reason for why ‘MC’ wants to spend time with him he won’t think corporate spy.” 

“I still don’t think this will work,” MC said not even bothering to mention she had already let her preference be known. 

“Trust me Clark, I know Lex Luthor it will.” 

Chloe said nothing biting her lip. She wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but they hadn’t been able to hack the system for weeks after Operation Justice, and the one time she had gotten in there had been nothing useful. A shell of what the system used to contain. Lex was not playing any games, unsure of the way information of his projects was getting out; he just blocked all access from it via any network server, and now had the information on his computer. 

A computer no one with the know how to hack it, could get to with out tripping dozens of alarms and security protocols. 

She was also worried about Clark; he was a girl with no idea how to be one, and he was without his powers. And they wanted to toss him, her, in with Lex Luthor. Lex was too smart not to figure out something was going on. 

“Maybe this is not the best idea.” 

“Could you put together something that could remotely hack one of Lex’s computer’s once Clark get’s access?” 

“No, but I can put together something that will allow me to set up remote access and get into the computer. I’ll need some time.” 

“It’s fine, Come on Clark, time to go shopping.” 

“MC,” she reminds with a frown. 

****

 

Lex Luthor liked to believe that he was not a man to be taken by surprise. He sometimes hoped things would turn out a different way than they did, but it was never a surprise. Then he had gotten to Smallville and his world had been upended by one fifteen year old.

The amount of time and energy he had spent on Clark Kent was hard to explain. And he had never seen so clearly than that moment in the cave when Clark had been shocked to see him. Clark did not know him at all, he may have had some warped idea of friendship, but Clark was not paragon of the ideal either. 

Clark would never confess his meteor infected status to Lex, and all he had done to get him to reveal it was go down a path where he ended up married to Lana Lang, working on meteor based government contracts, and regularly attacked by the Green Arrow and his band of superhuman thugs. 

So Lex really shouldn’t be surprised, that the newest surprise would be based around Clark. He had lied when he told MC there was a slight resemblance. She was what Clark would be as a woman. The same cheekbones, the same eyes, even the same wide smile. She was clearly just as fearless as Clark could be, and he was sure she would be the newest Kent soon enough. 

He hadn’t even bothered to get her full name, he was sure researching her would just lead him down the path to investigating Clark again. And Lex knew a destructive addictive habit when he saw one. And this was one his body would not be able to heal him from. 

This was likely why he was staring at his blank computer screen. There was a sharp rap at his door before it was pushed open. 

“Tess,” Lex said giving her his full attention. 

“Lex, I heard about your early morning guest and I took the liberty to research her. Her birth records are a little vague, though that is likely because of the adoption.”

“So no hints of a brother?” Lex asked. 

“There could have been, the records are spotty at best, even her birthday was changed to her adoption date. She was likely between three weeks and three months old when she was adopted.” 

Lex had not done the research, he had not asked for it. This was Tess, but if the data was available well who was he to turn it down. 

“Also her apartment burned down.” 

“What? When?” Lex asked sitting up. The amount of data Tess had amassed from just a first name was staggering. A fire. Was that how the afore mentioned father died?

“Last night, she is listed under missing, though no bodies were found.” 

“Well she was in the mansion last night so I think not,” Lex said. 

“So who is she?” Tess asked. 

“She may be Clark Kent’s sister.” 

“May?” 

“The resemblance is there,” Lex admitted. “But, Clark’s adoption was years later, had my father involved, and is just a mess. Forget MC, how is your training going?” 

Tess smiled and went on about how her latest instructor treated her like a tool instead of a delicate woman and it was painful, but it worked. He saw her unconscious mimicking of his calm, and measured way of speaking a smiled. 

When she was ready Tess would be someone Lex could trust at his side in business and in the more dangerous aspects of his life. 

“And the promotion?” 

“No one is surprised, Wes is a pig and they just expected him to move up any remotely attractive unattached woman, regardless of qualifications.” 

“Good, you delegation needs work.” 

Tess smirked but said nothing placing the folder on his desk and heading out, Lex glanced at it before pulling it open. Completely normal mundane life for all he could tell. 

It did not matter; he told himself, he would never see MC again anyway.

**** 

MC stared at the store and started backing away, only to be stopped by Oliver’s hands on her shoulders. 

“I am not going in there,” she hissed. 

“Yes you are, you have clothes, shoes, even a purse, you need this.” 

“Can’t we go to Sears or something?”

“Sears? Sears? You’re lucky I let you into the Gap.” 

MC sighed and entered Victoria’s secret. She had been worried when Oliver had offered to take her shopping, that he would end up in high end stores, and feel like she was playing the role of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. 

Instead, it had been the Gap and American Apparel. He had ended up with a wardrobe of jeans, and shirts, and things. And at a sporting goods store, he had picked up a red and blue, striped messenger bag as his purse. 

“Fine, but you stay out here.” 

Oliver rolled his eyes but did not put up a fuss taking out his phone instead and making a few calls. He also wandered over to a nearby electronic kiosk and when MC emerged with the pink shopping bag, and handed him his credit card he smiled. 

“Here, I got you a cell phone and the courier arrived with your id.” 

“Oh thanks,” MC said, 

“I took the liberty of programming myself and Chloe in it for you.” 

Oliver’s phone rang again before Clark could find a suitable answer to that and she watched as the man transformed before her. 

“I’ll be right there,” he said hanging up. Turning to MC he pulled out his wallet and the cash he had left on him. 

“I can’t take-“ MC started at what had to be hundreds of dollars. 

“Just take it, doesn’t matter, if you don’t make contact today come back to my loft,” he said easily. MC took the money stuffing it into an inner pocket of the messenger bag. Oliver handed her all of her other shopping bags as he made his way out of the mall. 

Sighing she flopped down on a bench wondering how she would carry all this. Before grinning and heading back to the sporting good store. She picked up a large camper’s backpack and filled it with her purchases. 

She was a bit surprised at the weight but, made carrying everything easier. She made her way out of the mall and caught a bus that was heading into the city proper. Now she had to find Lex that was just ridiculous, while she could understand the importance of stopping him before he captured or hurt more people, Lex was not the trusting sort. 

He would not just let MC into his life without question. That just wasn’t Lex. MC noticed her bus had brought her close to the Daily Planet. Getting off she headed to a Deli she liked to have lunch on the occasions when she would visit Chloe. 

Stepping inside it was the first time she was aware of how hungry she was. She hadn’t  
eaten since her time at the mansion. And she had ended up throwing that up in Chloe’s apartment. 

“One roast beef sandwich.” 

“Coming right up. Hey there. Your usual?”

“Yes.” 

MC froze at the sound of that voice. It could not be possible. She had not wanted to run into Lex at all. It would have made telling Oliver to take his brilliant plan and eat it so much easier. But here he was standing right behind him. MC knew the stakes and she had to at least try, if she honestly failed there was nothing Oliver could say. 

“Here you go miss,” the server said handing MC her wrapped sandwich. 

“Thanks,” she said taking the sandwich and turning so she was face to face with Lex. 

“Hi,” she said brightly. 

“Well, hello again, it’s a pleasure to see you in better circumstances.” 

“Yeah,” MC said with a shrug reaching for a bottle of water in the drink display as Lex got his own sandwich from the server. 

“Join a boring business man for lunch?” Lex asked. 

MC looked at Lex again, remembering those moments earlier in the day when she had hoped to get to know this kinder Lex better. But now there would be another lie between them, “I…uh…um…” 

“Everything,” Lex said gesturing to MC’s purchase as well as he took them from her and placed them on the counter. “Now you have to say yes I just bought you lunch.” 

“Only because I’m starving, I haven’t eaten all day,” MC relented grabbing some napkins and following Lex into Luthor corp, wondering if it would be this easy to get to his computer. Not that it mattered. He still had to get the program from Chloe anyway. 

Lex led them through part of the ground floor and opened the door into an enclosed garden area. She looked around and could see a smattering of employees of all ranks, eating their lunches. Quite a few with paper bags from the deli. 

“He we go,” Lex said gesturing to a table, that had staff appear and wipe it down before they took more than three steps towards it. 

“Wow, must be good to be the boss,” MC said. 

“It has its moments.” Lex said placing the bag on the table and moving to help MC with the backpack. “You’ve picked up a few things.” 

“I had to go shopping no clothes,” MC explained. 

“I remember,” Lex said and she blushed. 

“No, no. well that too but,” MC sighed, my apartment burned down.

“I’m sorry, was anyone hurt?” 

“I don’t know, no one died,” MC said remembering that much from the article. 

“Did you at least find Clark?” Lex asked instead. 

“No, he’s out in Montana apparently.” 

“So what do you plan to do now?” 

“I have no idea,” MC admitted. She would have to wait to see if she could be turned back. There was nothing to be done but wait. She couldn’t go about her life as Clark Kent and she didn’t have a life as MC. 

“Do you know someone in Metropolis?” 

“Not really, I talked to Chloe and she mentioned she worked at the Daily Planet. So I thought here was as good as anywhere else. At least until Clark shows up.” 

“Didn’t she know how long he would be gone?”

“No, she said anything between a few days or a few weeks,” MC said taking a bite of the sandwich. 

“Come stay at the mansion.” 

“I couldn’t do that,” MC protested. “You don’t know me.” 

“I would feel better than knowing you are wandering Metropolis alone at night,” Lex said. 

“But, I really don’t want to impose.” 

“I live in a mansion, you could take over an entire wing and I would still be hard pressed to notice.” 

“I… Are you sure?” MC asked. This was all too easy and too perfect and a part of her hated herself for it. For doing exactly what Lex always accused her of, Lying. But she really didn’t have much choice. 

“Alright, I guess.” 

“You can leave your bag with security, come back around six.” 

“Oh okay,” she said with a nod wondering what she could do for the next three hours. 

“The Natural History Museum is two blocks north of here,” Lex said and MC grinned. 

“Thanks!” She said. Finishing off her sandwich she followed Lex out of the area and waved goodbye as he went to the elevator bank and she headed to the exit, stopping at the security desk to hand over her bag. 

MC stepped outside and started heading north to the museum. She was climbing the stairs when her phone rang. She dug through the messenger bag and pulled it out knowing only one person should have this number. 

“Hello Oliver.” 

“Clar- MC, hi, I forgot to tell you, I won’t be back to the loft tonight so make yourself comfortable when you get there. We can figure out a game plan for Luthor.” 

“Um, no we won’t.” 

“Look MC, I know you don’t like being a girl, and didn’t plan this but we have to do what is to our best advantage at this point. And that means using this to get close to Luthor and find out what he knows about the rest of the team and how to stop him. We don’t want another situation like the one with Bart.” 

“No that’s not I meant. I ran into Lex when I got lunch, he offered to let me stay at the mansion.” 

“That’s fantastic! You work fast, good job MC,” Oliver said. “Change of plans then, call me when Lex is gone and we can figure out what to do. We know that mansion is covered in cameras and we don’t want you to be found out too soon.” 

“Right, so have you figured out how to get to the lake?”

“I’m working on it. I’ve got to go, my client’s arrived.” 

“Okay bye,” MC said hearing the click of the dial even before she had finished speaking. She would have to trust Oliver. She had no idea what would happen if she went back into the lake, would it turn her back? Make it so she was stuck like this forever? Give her, her powers back? Change something else?

It was a risk MC could not take. It would be much too dangerous for her. At least Oliver could find a way to protect those involved. Keep them from having any reaction to the kryptonite. 

PART III

Arriving at the mansion with Lex as a girl who did not know a thing about him was an experience to say the least. In the car, MC had distracted him by discussing the car they were in. A Ferrari, Clark had learned about cars as a way to chat with an get along with guys, it hadn’t really mattered when he was a guy, but as MC it gave her at least one topic to talk about. 

“And this is Luthor castle, supposedly the family ancestral home; though my father is so full of crap I’m hard press to believe it.” 

“Its nice having your own castle anyway,” MC said watching as Lex lifted her backpack. It had barely fit into the tiny space called a trunk but it made it. She reached to take it and Lex shook his head. 

“Now what kind of host would that make me? I think we can prepare the same room for you to use again, now for the grand tour.” 

“Lead away sir,” MC said with a mock bow as they made their way through the garage into the main part of the mansion. 

MC followed Lex on the tour listening to the information he provided on rooms and other useful tidbits in the mansion for those staying there. She was surprised to learn there was a second kitchen on the opposite end of the mansion though it was not in use as anything but long term food storage, just in case MC ever got turned around. 

They made their way upstairs, and into what would be MC’s room. Lex looked around the room and nodded to himself as he placed her bag in the corner. MC realized then the essentials she forgot to purchase and laughed. 

“What?” Lex asked. 

“I bought clothes, shoes, underwear, but didn’t get a toothbrush or soap.” 

Lex smiled. “A small oversight that can easily be taken care of, I’ll have the staff send up some toiletries.” 

“Thank you for doing this. I know you don’t have to.” 

“It’s my pleasure. The mansion can get pretty quiet, it will be nice to have company and you look like you will be interesting company,” Lex glanced at his watch. “Dinner will be ready in about forty minutes if you want to clean up or anything. 

“Thanks,” MC said again as she walked over to the backpack of clothing she had. She opened it up and started piling things on the bed, glancing back to make sure Lex was gone before pulling out the pink bag she had stuffed in the bottom. 

She pulled out one of the matching bra and panty sets and really hoped she would be able to get into it without a problem. She decided to face that issue in the morning and went to the bathroom to wash her hands and face. 

She looked in the mirror and still could not believe that the face she saw was her own. It was just so strange; she had never been a she. She could still see her real face in this new one, the eyes, the hair just as messy as the few times he let it get anywhere close to this length. 

MC stepped into her room then wondered what on earth she would find to talk to Lex about? Clark had let Lex talk at him, but that had taken a while, their first few conversations had been strange. Lex didn’t talk the way he used to, in grand words and signs, dreams and visions. He was still Lex but he would not ask MC if she believed a man could fly. 

MC didn’t have a background, she didn’t have, stories she could tell Lex about herself, and those are the questions she would be asked. She pulled out the phone and sent a quick text to Chloe sure that Oliver had already filled her in. 

‘What do we talk about?’ She asked. Just a few seconds later the phone rang. 

“Well what did you use to talk about?” Chloe asked bypassing a greeting. 

“School, chores, work, girls.” 

“Then talk about those same things.” 

“Uh? You don’t think he will notice they are the same stories.” 

“Oh right, um, books, you like books, he likes books. And cars, and movies.” 

“Okay I think that might work, this just seems like a bad idea Chloe.” 

“I know but hopefully it will be for a day or two, then you will be back to normal or at least away from Lex.” 

“I can hope,” MC said. “Thanks, I’ll see you in the morning?” 

“Yeah, but I have to be at the planet early, get your host to drop you off in Metropolis. Oliver should be there too.” 

“Right, thanks.” 

“Well, if an alien turned girl can’t talk to their best friend who can they talk to?” 

MC laughed glad that Chloe had called. “Thanks, it’s been a long day.” 

“It’s not a problem, but really how are you?” 

“Honestly it’s still a lot to wrap my head around. I don’t know, I’m not freaking out but every once in a while I’ll do something, or someone will react to me and it will hit home again that I’m a girl now you know? Like a guy held the door for me at the Museum and when I say held I mean I had to walk past him and he just kept smiling. I though it was the strangest thing, then I remembered. Right, girl.” 

“Poor Clark, confusing boys right and left,” Chloe said amused. 

“Even Oliver did it. He kept taking my shopping bag and holding things for me.” 

“Well Oliver’s a good guy.” 

“But he should know I’m-“ 

“Without your powers and injured? Maybe it’s not all about being a girl Clark, I mean I saw your arm, and you have to admit you don’t have the best track record being human. Add being a girl on top of that, Clark you can’t forget, because there are worse things that can happen to you now.” 

“Worse than being shot in the chest?” MC asked skeptically. 

“Just don’t play hero until you at least have your powers back, stay safe Clark.” 

“I will.” 

**** 

It turned out MC didn’t have to worry in the least. No sooner had she and Lex sat down for dinner than his phone rang and he was off dealing with some kind of meltdown at work. Lex excused himself and went into the other room. 

MC didn’t even bother to try to listen in, no super-hearing she was sure she would give herself away without even trying. And Lex had gone into his office likely to click away on keys. She continued to eat her meal, wondering how long the call would take. 

When she realized she was eating dessert and Lex’s dinner was still sitting on the table untouched she sighed. Standing she made her way to where she could hear the steady typing of Lex’s fingers, and his occasional technical comment. 

She was surprised at how much she could understand from the statements and learned that Lex was supervising the clearing up of the system they had been trapped in. She wandered past him looking around at the shelves and items. Noticing how little had changed since Clark had last been there. 

She had just picked up a leather bound book, expecting some serious old world book about war and battles, and instead saw. ‘Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide Deluxe Edition’, with a snort of amusement she wandered over to the sofa in the room and started reading. 

MC was surprised when she looked up and Lex was standing over her. “What are you reading so intently?” 

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable,” she responded. 

“There is another theory which states that this has already happened,” Lex responded in turn. 

MC placed the book aside, “I haven’t read that in years, I remember seeing horrible excuse for a movie with-“ MC froze the word you on her lips and looked down into her hands. 

“Old flame?” Lex asked gently and MC blushed refusing to look at Lex. 

“Not quite, it was a guy,” MC explained and Lex nodded. He was never one to forget details, and now would not be any different. 

“Ah, are you still in touch?” 

“No, we had, we don’t talk anymore. I’ve been thinking, no he doesn’t and shouldn’t trust me,” MC said and frowned, she was falling into that pattern of being as open as she could with Lex to make up for the secrets. “He was, can we not talk about this?” 

Lex took a seat beside her and nodded. “Have you decided what you are going to do?” Lex asked. 

“I have no idea; I had no real idea before all this happened but now. I couldn’t go to college, I have no great skills, I just…” MC shrugged. “Thanks for taking me in again, I could be a psycho killer for all you know.” 

“Were you born in Smallville?” 

“No,” that was a question she could answer without fail. 

“Than your risks of being a psychopath significantly decreases.” 

“Right, should I be worried about meeting Clark then?” 

“Clark is…Clark is something else. He…I’m not the person to talk to you about Clark.” 

“But you knew him.” 

“Did Chloe not talk to you?” 

“Not really,” MC hedged. “She started to talk a mile a minute and was looking things up on her computer.” 

“Sounds about right for Ms. Sullivan, she has just been handed a mystery she must be excited.” 

“I’m not a big mystery.” 

“Well you may be the sister of her closet friend. She has reason to be excited.” 

“I guess it was strange to have her looking at me like some kind of science project,” MC said. Chloe treating her like she was the latest addition to the wall of weird, and Oliver acted as if she was the perfect weapon handed to him on a platter. 

“I do have a question for you now that you have regained the use of your vocal cords.” 

“Sure?” 

“What is your name?”

“Oh.” MC winced wishing she had a better name. 

“It can’t be that bad.” 

“Mary Clara, I sound like a nun,” MC pointed out. 

“It’s a lovely name.” 

MC frowned wishing Chloe had found something better. Though she likely should be happy Chloe had found something with those initials at all.

“Oh, can I come with you to Metropolis in the morning?” 

Of course, I leave at seven, if that’s too early I’m sure we can arrange something.” 

“Oh that’s fine, I get up with the rooster and all,” MC said standing. “I should go to bed.”

“I will see you in the morning, Goodnight, Mary.” 

“Oh God, MC please.” 

Lex laughed as he stood, leading the way out of the library.

PART IV

“So what are we going to do about Clark?” Chloe asked Oliver as they sat in his apartment waiting for said gender confused alien.

“I have some people looking into it. We can’t have Queen Industry’s presence be too great or people will start asking questions. Did you know LuthorCorp cleared out most of the greatest caches of Kryptonite?” 

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “We’ve run across some of their experiments and holding areas.”

“But they never dredged the lake,” Oliver added. “I have some surveyors who are students with a grant from Queen Industries, looking at the lake and collecting samples.” 

“That’s good. Becoming a guy again is high on Clark’s to do list,” Chloe said as the elevator reached Oliver’s loft. 

“MC, hi,” Oliver said standing as she walked into the room. In a simple pair of blue jeans, a light blue v-neck shirt and flip flops no one could guess that she used to be a boy. Even her stride had been unconsciously changed to match her new body. 

“Hey guys,” MC said sliding her messenger bag off her shoulders. 

“You look nice Clark.” 

“MC, Chloe get used to it,” Oliver said as MC shrugged and took a seat next to Oliver. 

“Right right, I can’t call you Clark in front of Lex or something,” Chloe said. “Does he suspect anything?” 

“What’s there to suspect?” MC asked. “We had dinner, or I had dinner he worked, I read a book, if I hadn’t been in the same room he would have likely forgotten me.” 

“You think you could get Lex to offer you a job?” Oliver asked. 

“A job? Doing what? MC never went to college remember?” 

“Well if I had more time I could have added that in,” Chloe said with a sigh. “But when I went back later the information had already been accessed. 

“Lex won’t care,” Oliver said waving a hand and MC rolled her eyes. 

“Yes he will, this is a bad idea, he takes his laptop with him to work, it’s pointless, I should get out of there before he really starts digging.” 

“No, we can come up with something wireless, you’ll just have to be in the same room with the computer while it’s in use.”

“Oliver that will take days!” Chloe exclaimed, “And that’s if I don’t do my job.” 

“Well its Thursday, how far can you get on a weekend?” 

“It still won’t be done, and I’ll have to disguise it. Don’t you have teams of people you are paying who could do this?” 

“And how would I explain the desire for a technology that would be good for little more than theft?” 

“Just call me Mrs. Scoffield,” Chloe said with a sigh. 

“Who?” Oliver asked. 

“Never mind, what are you going to do this weekend?” 

“I don’t know, I-“

“Will be shown the town by Chloe,” Oliver interrupted. 

“I will apparently be building data hacking devices, I’ll be lucky to come up for caffeine.” 

“It’s okay Chloe, I will find something to do.” 

“I could ask Lois,” Chloe said. 

“No, I’ll be fine.” 

“That’s perfect,” Oliver said and MC groaned. It was not fair; not even becoming a woman could keep Lois from him. “Good now that that’s settled. What have you found out so far?” 

MC stared at Oliver wondering if he was serious. What could she have possibly found out? “Lex is supervising the cleaning of those tunnels we were trapped in.” 

“That’s public record; you need to do better than that.” 

“What part of Lex is paranoid don’t you get? He’s guarded. I’m not going to learn any magical secrets.” 

“H-she’s right,” Chloe said. “Lex barely trusts his wives.” 

“He’s letting you live with him.” 

“He’s curious, not stupid,” MC sighed, wondering why Oliver thought he knew Lex so well. Childhood? Lex had changed so much in the last five years MC could only begin to understand his mind, but suspicion and curiosity was Lex. Those things would not change. 

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Oliver said, “We should let Chloe get to work.” 

“Fine,” MC said, sighing as she and Chloe walked to the elevator. 

They rode down silently together and Chloe wondered what was on ‘MC’s’ mind as she stood beside Chloe. 

“Could you do me a favor?” 

“Anything, MC,” Chloe replied. 

“Keep an eye on Oliver? Make sure he is trying to find a way to fix this.” 

“You don’t think he would leave you like this?” 

“When it comes to talking down Lex I’m pretty sure Oliver would do anything including keep me a girl if it was useful.” 

“There is something between him and Lex, Oliver doesn’t act that way about anything else I’ve seen, I’m not saying spy on him, but-“

“I get it Clark.” 

“You keep doing that,” MC pointed out and Chloe frowned. 

“I know it shouldn’t be hard, you don’t exactly look like your old self any more, but-“ Chloe shrugged unsure how to explain. 

MC smiled, “Its nice to know at least one person still seems me under all this. Just remember.” 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Chloe said as she climbed into her car, MC into the passenger seat. “Why MC?” 

“You didn’t figure that out?” MC asked with a smile. “Martha Clark.” 

“Oh, right. Have you spoken to her?” 

“We don’t get to talk on the phone very often any more with her schedule, I sent her an email right before this happened. I don’t want to worry her while she’s in Washington.”

“She’ll be back in a few weeks.” 

“I hope to be back in a few weeks, she replied as Chloe pulled into the Planet parking garage. Together they made their way up into the main building. 

“I’m meeting Lois for lunch at Spice at twelve thirty. I can introduce you then.” 

“Do I have to?” MC whined. 

“Well its not as if she will know its you.”

“Fine,” MC said heading in the direction of the museum yet again, there were a few more exhibits she wanted to check out and she had no idea how she should be spending her time. Working? Would she even be around long enough to get paid? 

MC was staring at a model of a long extinct culture mind wondering what the culture of her own people were like. 

“We’ve come a long way,” a woman said approaching her. Standing beside her as they both looked at the display. 

“Yeah I guess,” MC replied. 

“Tess,” she said, holding out a hand. 

“MC.” Shaking Tess’ hand she took her first look at the woman. Beautiful, long dark hair, big blue eyes, dressed in a silk blouse and tailored slacks. MC realized she was staring and turned back to the display sure she was blushing. 

“So,” Tess started leaning in closer, “I’m ditching the office for a few hours, want to keep me company?” 

“Oh, um sure,” MC said. 

“What’s your favorite part?” 

“Well I’ve only been here twice, but I like things like this, cultural displays. You think a thousand years from now, it will be a bunch of people on cell phone, waiting for a bus?” MC asked grinning. 

Tess smiled, “There would need to be a few MP3 players too.” 

MC laughed as the pair of them made their way to the next display of an artic settlement. The conversation, flowing easily between them about the displays as they walked. MC able to answer the few personal questions without fear of letting something that was wrong slip. 

“So why are you ditching work?” 

“Mostly, to prove I can, my boss is a letch. He seems to think I’m just there to sit and look pretty. I decided I wanted to do something that took brain power for a little while.” 

“Oh.” 

“What brings you the museum?”

“Just had some time to kill, this is a great place to do it.” MC’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her messenger bag. “Oh! I have to go. I’m going to be late for lunch.” 

“Where are you headed?” 

“Spice?” 

“Oh that’s right near where I work, we can share a cab.”

MC was about to decline before she realized she had no super speed and would have no way of getting there in time. “I don’t want to put you out of your way. I can take the bus.” 

“Nonsense, it would take forty minutes at least to get there by bus. Come on,” Tess said taking MC’s good hand and leading her to exit. 

Tess somehow found a cab driver that was completely insane and they arrived at the restaurant in ten minutes. 

“That was…I haven’t been in a car going that fast in years,” MC muttered as she slid out of the cab. 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Tess said easily. 

“My life flashed before my eyes. Twice.” 

Tess laughed. “This is where I leave you. Enjoy your lunch.” 

“You haven’t met Lois,” MC sighed. “It was fun talking to you.” 

“You too, give me a call,” she said handing MC a card before crossing the street. MC watched as she turned a corner before looking at the card. Tess Mercer Regional Vice President, Midwest 2 LuthorCorp. 

MC blinked. She couldn’t believe she had trusted Lex. He sent one of his employees to spy on her. Nothing had changed about the man and she had been a fool to believe otherwise. Still holding the card she entered the restaurant where Chloe and Lois were standing at the waiting area. 

“Great, its good to know you and Clark at least don’t share the inability to keep appointments. Lois, MC, MC, Lois,” Chloe said as the hostess grabbed three menus and led them to the table. MC slid into the booth beside Chloe looking over at Lois who was openly staring. 

“What?” 

“Never thought I would say it but Smallville makes a pretty hot girl.” 

“What?” MC repeated wondering how Lois could have even guessed the truth. 

“Sorry, I mean you look like your brother, or what your brother would look like if he was a girl.”

“Well we might not be related,” MC pointed out. 

“No way I can so see it, right Chloe?” 

“Not really, I mean, they have the same coloring, which is not exactly rare, but otherwise…” Chloe let off with a shrug. 

“And the one time Smallville could be useful he’s run off to Montana.” 

“Hello Ladies are you ready to order?” The waitress asked. 

“Right um,” MC said picking up the menu for the first time. 

“The lunch specials are on the back. Drinks? Soda? Water? Tea?”

“Water.” 

“Me too.” 

“Same.” 

“I will be right back,” the waitress said as the three picked up their menus and turned to the back.

“I hear the duck is amazing here.” 

“Which one?” MC asked looking at the three duck lunch dishes. 

“Any one,” Lois said. 

“Ready?” the waitress asked as she placed down the glasses of water. She took their orders and walked off to fill them. 

“So I was thinking you could show MC around Lois. I would do it but I have a project this weekend.” 

“Project by the name of Jimmy?” Lois teased. 

“No, freelance computer stuff,” Chloe said. 

“Not hiding a story from me are you cuz?” 

“Not everything is about a story Lois,” Chloe said with a sigh. 

MC was glad for the distraction as their food arrived. She easily dug into her rice and curry and for the first time noticed that her arm did not in fact hurt. She wondered if she had started healing, and stared at the spice pot to see if her vision had come back. 

She felt something more like stabbing needles into her eyes and gave up. Returning her attention to her food, glad that the two cousins bickering had not noticed her strange stare. 

“Right well I have to go, I told the boss I was following a lead,” Lois said as she tossed a few bill down and slid out of the both. “I’ll see you Saturday, MC.” 

“You don’t-“ MC fell silent at the kick that she got to the leg from Chloe. “I’ll meet you at Chloe’s?” 

“Sounds good,” Lois said tossing her bag on and making her way out of the room. 

“See that wasn’t so bad,” Chloe said.

“Yeah because you were here to distract her, but we have a bigger problem.” 

“What?” Chloe asked. 

MC handed her the card she had slipped into her pocket and Chloe looked it over. She frowned and looked over at MC. 

“I don’t think Lex had anything to do with this. It’s completely obvious. And that is one thing Lex is not. I think you just got yourself a girlfriend.” 

“Chloe that’s just silly, I’m a girl.” 

“Do you like men now?” Chloe asked suddenly. 

“Of course not! I’ve never-“ MC fell silent at the raised eyebrow from her best friend. 

“One time when I was 15 does not make me gay.” 

“Well right now it would make you straight, come on it would make sense with you obsessions with each other.” 

“No, we’re straight; it was just one of those things.” 

“Please elaborate on these “things” I’ve never wanted to say, jump Lana’s bones.” 

MC winced. “It doesn’t matter. Why are we even talking about this? I do not want to jump Lex.” 

“Now,” Chloe muttered, before turning a bright smiled to MC. “Because a hot girl gave you her number and you are blaming Lex?” 

“I didn’t say she was hot,” MC said with a blush. 

“Right, if you turn any redder I have a sleigh you can lead.” 

“Funny.” 

“We should wrap this up, you okay by yourself?” Chloe asked. 

“I guess I have to be.”

“Some of us have jobs to do.” 

“Well, its not like I can go take care of the farm.” 

“What is happening to that?” 

“I called Mark, I said I was a cousin in Montana and Clark had a stomach flu so I was speaking for him. And its not like I can speed away if he shows up.” 

“No powers?” 

“My arm feels better, but I tried my vision and there was nothing. I don’t get it.” 

“Well you changed on the genetic level, its bound to make other things haywire. Maybe they will come back in order?” 

“Ugh I hope not, setting things on fire randomly is not fun.” 

“Premature combustion, I remember that one,” Chloe said and MC frowned. 

“What?” 

“Nothing, I have to get back to work, maybe you should go through the motions of getting a job or something. It would be something to do. Just go to all the stores in the mall and ask for applications.” 

“I guess,” MC said. 

“Well you have to do something, and you don’t want it to look like you plan on mooching on Lex forever.” 

“God, no. I wish I could stay at the farm.” 

“Yeah that wouldn’t be suspicious at all,” Chloe said counting out for the bill as MC picked up her bag. 

“Its fine, its not like you can make a withdrawal.”

“I could go to the ATM. I’d just have to get my card first.” 

“And why is Clark who is in Montana using an ATM in Metropolis?” 

“Oh right,” MC sighed. As she hadn’t been doing anything too wild, she still had most of the money Oliver had handed her and stood. She would be fine. 

“I guess I will see you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah.”

MC ended up taking Chloe’s advice and ended up being late meeting Lex to get back to Smallville. She rushed up to the desk already trying to figure out how she would get to Smallville on her own if Lex had left. 

“Excuse me has Lex left yet?” 

“Mr. Luthor does not provide his whereabouts for anyone who enters the building,” the security guard said coldly. 

“Look, did he leave any messages for a MC Adams?” 

The guard frowned, then made a grand show of looking it up on his computer. MC saw the moment his eyes opened in surprise. “Take elevator four in bank C it will take you right up.” 

“Thanks,” MC said with a sigh, glad that Lex hadn’t left yet, she was only forty-five minutes late. Not that long at all. 

Entering the elevator, she saw the button light up on its own as she made her way up. She walked in and saw what had to be Lex’s assistant making her way out of his office with a stack of folders. 

“You can go in,” she said, setting the stack down on her desk and going to a cabinet to gather more files. 

“Thanks.” 

MC entered the office, and saw Lex surrounded with paper, and searching through files quickly and placing them aside as he went through them. Not sure what she should do now she walked towards the desk. 

“I’ll need the files on the qualifications of those that have been fired from that department as well, Charity.” 

“Yes sir,” drifted from the hall and Lex looked up sharply, relaxing when he saw MC. 

“I’m sorry, were you waiting long? I sent word to the desk the moment I realized I would be swamped with this.” 

MC grinned slightly, “I kinda just got here,” MC admitted. “What’s going on?” MC said gesturing all the files. 

“Some questions about hiring practice.” 

“Isn’t that a job for HR?” MC asked confused. 

“It would be if it wasn’t a section of HR that was in question. I’d like to get everything in order and know what’s going on.”

“Right,” MC said watching as the assistant came in again, she managed to pick up one stack of folders and place another down in its place without missing a beat. MC was sure there would have been an explosion of documents had she been tasked with the same thing. 

MC did not realize she had been staring at the assistants departing form until Lex’s words cut into her thoughts. 

“Sorry to break it to you, but she’s engaged.” 

“What? Oh, no, no, I was just, her balance,” MC blurted before putting her hand to her face. “I’ve met enough beautiful women from LuthorCorp for one day.” 

“Unless there is something about Steve that I don’t know …” Lex trailed off and MC fished in her bag for the card. 

“Tess Mercer.” 

“Really?” 

“You know her?” MC asked. 

“She’s part of the reason for this,” Lex said with a shrug, someone apparently had been building quite the case against her supervisor, who happens to be in a relationship with a high ranking member of our HR staff. Vanishing for half the day, like she did was what pushed them to come forward. And bring this directly to my attention. 

“She’s not in trouble is she?” 

“Why MC, I didn’t know you cared, but no, it’s a minor offense in the scheme of things, I’m more concerned with what looks like what could easily become sexual harassment lawsuits that this pair has been burying.” 

“Well that can’t be to hard to prove, even with the girlfriend in HR.” 

“Boyfriend, it’s a case of overcompensating gone too far,” Lex said with a sigh. “Their relationship is only a theory right now, they might even be family of some kind. But there are too many things that have to be considered. I’m sorry, this may take some time, I can call a car to take you to the Mansion.” 

“That’s alright I have my own paperwork to do,” MC said. 

“How’s your hand?” 

“Feels better, well I can write with it for a bit if I take breaks.” 

“That’s good. What paperwork do you have?” 

“Applications, I think I went to every store in the mall. Again.” 

“I see,” Lex said returning to his documents as MC took a seat at another table in his office pulling out the stack of applications. She looked around the table for a moment, glancing at Lex who was frowning at a folder. 

“Here you go,” the assistant said and MC jumped. 

“Oh! Thanks.” 

“No problem, I’m putting in an order for Sushi you want anything?” 

“Um, Chicken?”

“I’ll get you a bento box,” the assistant said, amused as she left the room. 

“Okay.” 

MC looked down at the applications and picked up the pen. She wrote slowly, trying to remember she wasn’t Clark Kent right now so of course she wrote CL- on the application before she noticed it. She tried to place an M in front of it and ruined it even worse. 

Sighing she shifted the application to the back of the pile, its not like she would ever hand these in and she didn’t need to work at Spencer’s anyway. Looking at the next application, she filled in the right name. 

She got to the address line and blinked. She stared at it for a moment before deciding to skip to the next piece of needed information. Social Security Number. MC stared, she didn’t know it as Clark. Let alone for this new identity. 

She went through her messenger bag, and pulled out the identification that Oliver had faked for her. There was a, driver’s license, an ATM card that she hadn’t realized she had. She removed the post it with the pin and stuck it in a slot of the wallet. But there was no social security card. 

She looked at the license and wrote down her supposed date of birth. She looked at the job history section and took a deep breath. This wasn’t real, this was something that would end soon. 

“Are you alright?” Lex asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Fine, this was a bad idea,” MC said sighing. “You have work to do I should go.” 

“Nonsense, besides dinner is here.” 

MC blinked wondering how long she had sat staring dumbly at the application in front of her. The heart of the problem was that she didn’t want to do this. Clark Kent had more qualifications by a slim margin. Though she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do. 

Clark had been left the farm by circumstance more than anything else and felt trapped more than drawn to the farm. He had never wanted to be a farmer. MC glanced up at Lex who was still watching curiously. 

“What about this is so difficult?” Lex asked. 

“Ever watch everyone in your life move on and do things, and know you’ll be in the same place forever?” MC said then held up a hand to stop Lex’s response. “Don’t answer that, its just something that’s been on my mind and with everything that’s happened its been pushed up.” 

“A fresh start.” 

“Some start.” 

“Have you ever thought about going to college?” 

“I can’t afford it, but I might have to. Which leads to the other problem, I don’t even know what I want to do, I just know I don’t want to do that,” MC said gesturing at the applications. 

“Let me look into a few things, I should have something for you by Monday.” 

“No, no, you have this whole big thing to deal with. Don’t waste your time on me. I’ll figure something out.” 

“Its fine it would be a good distraction from looking at rules of HR. Besides it will be sent to our legal department soon enough.” 

“Oh,” MC said as Charity handed her a box and a set polished of chopsticks. “Thank you.” 

“No problem. There’s a California roll in there, if you want to give it a try. It’s cooked.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

 

PART V

Saturday, MC woke with a phone call from Oliver. She had not told him anything about the HR issue that Lex had been having Thursday night but assumed he would not care about something so minor. It had nothing to do with his great plan at uncovering the deep dark secret. 

Lex wasn’t a good guy, Clark had first hand experience with this, but this was not the way to bring him down. This was going down to his level, they should just make Lex’s activities public and have the police deal with the rest. 

MC had only been giving Oliver half an ear when she heard what it was he in fact wanted and was nothing if not horrified. 

“No!” MC shouted into the phone her eyes drifting to the dozens of college catalogues arranged on the table. Not to mention the stack three times its size for scholarships. 

“Be reasonable, this is major.” 

“I will not stay this way for months. You’re not even trying to find a cure are you? You just want to use this.” 

“Of course I am, but testing will take a while, we have no idea what did this to you and we have to take precautions. There will be a lot of testing to see what it would take to turn you back.” 

“And you just hope in the meanwhile I’ll be a good little solider and suck it up? This isn’t the way to do this and I’m done. I’ll find a cure myself,” MC hung up the phone and tossed it aside before sinking to her knees and taking deep calming breaths. 

Curled on the floor MC was shaking. Months. Oliver wanted her to do this for months. Months because Lex Luthor was brokering some deal with Wayne Enterprises R&D and he didn’t like it. 

Standing she knew what she had to do. She started throwing things back into her backpack. And after a moments consideration took all the college materials as well. Maybe there would be something to help Clark in there. 

As long as he stayed at the farm, without direction or a plan he could end up in situations like this. He didn’t think the end justified the means and letting Oliver talk him into it even for this long was stupid. 

He would go to the lake figure out how what had changed him and find a way to change back. It wasn’t too much to want or ask for. Looking down at herself she sighed. She was going to make her great escape in pajamas. 

Showering and wearing her towel in a way that is only half effective on a woman, MC gets dressed absently in another pair of jeans and a shirt. Now dressed and packed she pulled open the door only to come face to face with Lex. 

Lex who was dressed in almost casual attire for him, slacks, and a long sleeved pullover, she froze at the door as Lex looked her over the question in his eyes long before it reached his lips. 

“Going somewhere?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I…I’m sorry I have to go.” 

“Where are you going?” Lex asked. 

“I…you don’t know me, you shouldn’t have…look. Thanks for everything you did for me. It was great, I didn’t know you could still be this nice and not want something. Sometimes I wish-“ 

“What exactly are you saying?” Lex asked. 

“I should never have come here, I should have never let, I’m sorry. Just forget about me.” 

“What about Clark?” 

“What?” MC asked confused. Lex couldn’t know. 

“Your possible brother?” 

“I don’t have family, grasping at straws isn’t going to change that, this was a mistake.” 

Lex stared at MC. “At least let me take you-“ 

“No Lex. You’ve done too much already,” MC said and glad that Lex had moved out of her path made her way to the stairs. Lex stared after her when he heard a ringing behind him. MC had forgotten her phone. 

Going back into the room he picked it up. Glancing at the phone as it went to voicemail. Shrugging he started moving towards the stairs when it rang again, putting it to his ear without a word he got an earful. 

“Look, I’m looking for a cure, I’m just asking you to watch Lex in the meanwhile, it’s not like I’m asking you to sleep with him. Hello? Hello? Damnit!” 

Lex stared coldly at the phone. He knew that voice, Oliver Queen. He must have found MC and decided to try and use her to get information on Lex. Though, unlike Oliver, he did not chase after anything with breasts. He could see how the man would think it was a good plan. 

Lex made his way out of the room hoping to catch MC before she had gotten too far. He stepped out of the manor and just made out her going through the gates of the mansion. Lex went back inside to get one of his cars, not sure what he would say to the girl once he found her. 

MC started moving through the fields, running at a normal human speed towards Crater Lake. She should have never trusted Oliver about this. The man never seemed to think straight when Lex was involved and she shouldn’t have let Oliver make that decision for her even for these last few days. 

But this was the end of that. Clark Kent was not someone who Lex wanted in his life at all. MC slowed down but was surprised that she was already nearing the lake. She wondered if she had gained back superspeed, and while counting in her head sprinted for the tree line before she realized she had gone the wrong way. 

She wasn’t at Crater Lake, she was at Hobs pond which was much closer to the mansion. Surprised she had made such a mistake she slipped the larger bag off and approached the water. There was no point in diving in, and if he remembered right there was red K here. Not exactly something she wanted to be exposed to. 

Sitting on a flat rock she gathered a handful of pebbles and started tossing them one by one into the water. Shifting to get another handful she brushed against her messenger bag, and dropped the last few pebbles and started looking at the documents she had been given by Lex. 

The first was a scholarship for lesbian students interested in the arts, then one for those interested in social sciences, she placed those two back in the bag to get rid of later hoping that at least some might be useful. 

One for adopted children caught her eye and she started reading the requirements, she realized that this one would actually work for Clark and she smiled. 

The sudden curse behind her startled her and she jumped up turning towards the sound even as she took a few steps back. She relaxed slightly when Lex came out of the trees though took a step back when the feeling of nausea she associated with kryptonite came with him. 

“MC are you okay?” Lex said as he approached at a much faster pace. The trees seemed to spin around MC before she fell to the floor in a heap loosing consciousness. 

 

“MC!” Lex exclaimed not moving fast enough to stop the woman from hitting the forest floor. He dropped the glowing meteor rock he had been holding to take back to his lab to get a better hold on MC. He turned her over and was surprised to see she was shaking slightly and radiating heat. 

Lifting her into his arms he started walking towards the manor. Casting a glance and the dropped papers and her luggage, he continued moving forward, glad it was a short distance back to the manor. Pausing once to draw his cell phone and prepare something for them back at the manor and collect MC’s belongings. 

Lex was walking up the path to the manor when MC woke. She blinked at him and looked at him in horror pushing him away. Lex frowned. 

“Stop that I’m trying to-“ Lex froze when he saw MC’s shoulder’s jerk and he quickly put her down on her own feet. She staggered to a tree before vomiting. Lex gently held her hair back and rubbed soothing circles on her back as MC held onto a tree for dear life. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” MC whispered and allowed Lex to gently lead her back onto the path to the castle. Picking her back up when it was clear her legs wanted to give way. 

“I just ask you do not aim for the shoes,” Lex said, and MC cracked a small smile. 

“I can walk you know.” 

“This is a lot faster,” Lex pointed out and for once MC could not argue. And with Lex leading the way she could close her eyes and end the vertigo, she wasn’t leading she didn’t need to know what was in front of her. 

“Are you going to sleep?” 

“No, just dizzy.” 

“And you wanted to walk?” 

“Fine maybe that was a bad idea.” 

“Maybe?”

“Just for that I’m aiming for your shoes,” MC threatened, though how seriously he took her with her eyes shut and curling against him was in question.

“Good thing we have arrived at the mansion then.” 

“I can still aim for your shoes,” MC said as Lex gently lowered her to the couch in his office. 

“The doctor should be here soon.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Mary you collapsed, alone in the middle of the woods. Clearly you’re not well.” 

“I haven’t eaten?” 

“Is that it?” Lex asked suspiciously. 

“No,” MC said suddenly nervous. “I know what’s wrong, I’m fine now,” she pointed out. 

“What if you had collapsed somewhere more dangerous? When I first found you had you collapsed or fallen asleep.” 

“I…” 

“What if those jocks had come upon you sooner?” 

“They didn’t. I was fine.” 

“Running, nearly naked in the road? If I hadn’t been there, you collapsed again a few minutes later.” 

“Can we talk about something else?” 

“Fine,” Lex said coldly. “What does Oliver Queen have over your head?”

MC stared at Lex not able to hide her shock. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Don’t lie to me,” Lex said taking the cell phone out of his pocket. 

“I…” 

“Are you even related to Clark Kent?” 

MC sighed and covered her face with her hands bringing her elbows to her knees. 

“Talk to me, he said something about a cure. I can get the best specialists.” 

“They can’t help me,” MC sighed. 

“You won’t know if you don’t try. What kind of disorder do you have?” 

“Shouldn’t you be more upset that I’ve been lying to you?” 

“Sometimes it’s not all about me. And it’s clear you have your standards, whatever Queen requested of you was clearly more than you were willing to give. Is it fatal?” 

“I don’t think so,” MC said with a shrug. “I’m weaker than I used to be.” 

“I need to know more.” 

“I can’t- I can’t be some lab experiment.” 

“Medical testing is not like that, yes we would need blood samples, and you might have to go in for treatment, it’s only if you are so sick that the only safe option is to keep you hospitalized, this isn’t the movies, Mary.”

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this now.” 

“You can trust me.” 

“Well I can’t trust Oliver and I can’t stay like this,” MC said. “Well its not as if you can make this any worse.” MC was more or less human, what ever had made Clark Kent had stripped his powers for the time being so he could at least keep that secret. 

“Up until the night you found me I did not exist.” 

“What do you mean? How is this related to you illness?” 

“I’m not sick exactly. I know the fainting thing, I don’t get it but that’s not what we are trying to cure.” 

“You said you did not exist, who were you?” 

MC looked down at her hands, smaller, smoother, “I was, I was a man.” 

“A man?” 

“Yeah MC, said not looking up.

“Did I know you as a man?” Lex asked and MC nodded. “Clark?” 

“Yeah,” MC glanced up at Lex and wished she hadn’t. His expression was far from kind. “Yeah, I’ll go,” MC said standing gripping the arm of the couch to help her remain standing. 

“Prove it.” 

“What?” 

“Prove you are Clark Kent.” 

“Oh, you came back for me in the cave in.” 

“That’s all?” Lex asked coldly. 

“Friendship of legend, thing of destiny, maybe you should just ask me a question?” 

“Richard Nixon.” 

“You shot him to save, my dad, after the twister. That wasn’t really a question.” 

“What have you told Oliver?” 

“That you were cleaning up the caves we were trapped in.” 

“Public record,” Lex pointed out. 

“That’s what he told me too. Oh, you smashed that stereo once because there might have been a bug in it,” MC said pointing. 

“I’m supposed to believe you were turned into a woman?” 

“You asked me if I believed a person could fly, I’m asking you to believe something just as weird.” 

“As I recall you didn’t believe me,” Lex pointed out. 

“Well that was before I meat shape shifters, bug people, heat stealers, and all other sorts of Smallville weirdness.” 

“How did this happen?” 

“Exactly how I told you. I went swimming in Crater Lake and woke up a girl.” 

“I’ll have a team at the lake within the hour,” Lex said his phone already at his ear. 

MC sat and stared, wondering if this would have been the Lex she would have known had she told him her secret. Would he just have helped? No questions asked just worked to make things better for her? 

She waited until Lex was off the phone before speaking. “Thank you Lex.”

“Is there anything else that I need to know? Anything that can help us?” 

MC bit her lower lip wondering how to say this. His father would be horrified right now. “You’re probably looking for meteor rock.” 

“We won’t even have to dredge the lake if that is the case, I have extensive samples.” 

“Not the green one, some other color.” 

“There are other colors?” Lex asked. 

“I know there’s red, it was found near Hob’s Pond.” 

“How do you know it was not the green rock that caused this?” Lex asked. 

“I just know.” 

“That’s not good enough Clark, the green rock has been know to cause strange mutations in people, animals, and plants. It’s possible-“ 

“I know because it can kill me Lex. That’s the only thing the green rocks have ever done to me.” 

“My God. And you live in Smallville?” 

“Yes?” MC asked confused. 

“Clark, you live in the town with the highest concentration of meteor fragments on the planet. That would be like someone building a house at Chernobyl.” 

“It’s not like that. I have to be close to them.” 

“I was 30 yards from you when you collapsed today, and I had small fragment in my hand.” 

“Yeah, it’s gotten worse since I was a girl.” 

“Should I be concerned about red?” 

“No it doesn’t hurt me,” MC said with a blush. 

“What does it do?” 

“Um, release inhabitations,” MC said looking away. 

“Leather jacket? Keys to my car?” 

“Yeah, that would be it.” 

“And when you nearly killed Lana? Was that red too?” 

“Oh, silver.” 

“Silver, how many colors are there?” 

“As far as I know, there is also, black, and blue.” 

“Black has been accidentally created in my labs once.” 

“It can split you in two.” 

“Sounds painful.” 

“No, like Ying yang two.” 

“Is it possible that is what happened to you?” 

“Light and dark, not male and female.” 

“Ying Yang is also a representation of the masculine and feminine.” 

“Oh, yeah no, just good guy, bad guy.” 

“I see, this has been quite informative, I hope to have answers or at least more colors for you by the end of the day. I will need blood samples.”

“Blood? Why?” 

“The alternative would be to expose you to any new strains we discover and see what happens.” 

MC blanched. “But how will be able to tell which one turns me back?” 

“Your DNA is in your cells, you know this, even the ones for sex characteristics, we just have to see which one turns you from an XX to an XY.” 

“Oh.” 

“There will be full disclosure Cla…what would you like me to call you?” 

“MC is probably safer,” Clark said. 

“Right. What are you going to tell Queen.” 

“I have no idea. If he knew I told you he’d probably drag me out of here and test me for mind control. Whatever your history is he’s scary about it.” 

“I got the girl, among other things. How did you get mixed up with Oliver Queen of all people?” 

“He was dating Lois for a while, and he and Chloe are friends, she thought he could help.” 

“Can he?” 

“He’s starting pretty much from the same place as you. No actually he’s not, you have done more research on the green rocks at least.” 

“Yes, I don’t want you to get your hopes up. This could take weeks. We could never find a way to change you back.” 

“I know, but at least your trying, you don’t want just one more thing to help me. I’m not even sure he’s sent people to the lake.” 

“He has, four people were surveying it, they took some water and dirt samples.” 

“What would that do?” 

“Normally look for radiation in the ground and water, but from what you’ve told me its something that has been stirred from the lake. Have you been swimming in it before?” 

“Lot’s I tend to use it as a place to clear my head, though I probably haven’t been back in a couple of years.” 

“So possibly something caused the lake to spew up its contents. And this new fragment was previously buried.” 

“I guess. Lex thank you,” MC said sincerely. 

“What are friends for?” Lex asked and MC stomach growled before she could give a response. “I can help with that too.”

MC followed Lex into the kitchen and her phone went off as Lex pulled out the ready made breakfast.

“Hello?” 

“Hi, MC, its Chloe remember me?” 

“Chloe?” MC asked confused.

“Yeah, my cousin Lois is here. We had lunch yesterday?” 

“My brain still works Chloe.” 

“So that part, where we said you would be here by ten?” 

“What time is it?” 

“Eleven thirty, I have some things I need to do,” Chloe said pointedly.

“Right, and you want me to keep Lois out of your hair.” 

“You’re just the girl for the job.” 

“Great, I’ll be there soon.” MC said hanging up.

“Plans?” 

“Chloe wants me to keep Lois out of her hair.” 

“Enjoy that.” 

“Right you sure you couldn’t expose me to meteor rock a few dozen times?” MC asked. 

“Give me your phone number I’ll call you when we need to collect the samples.” 

“Sure,” MC said handing the phone to Lex. “I don’t actually know the number.” 

****

“Finally,” Lois said pulling open the door. “Its not like there’s a lot to see in this no Starbucks town but I’ve been waiting hours.” 

“Sorry Lois.” 

“Right, and I’m starved, I was thinking pizza. You want us to bring you back anything Chloe?” 

“I’m fine,” Chloe called and MC glanced into the apartment and saw piles of wires and tools, and what looked like a few circuit boards. 

“Trust me you don’t want to go in there and you don’t want to know; she may in fact, explain.” 

“Uh right. So where are we headed?” 

“Well, this is Main Street, sometimes it feels like the only street. Give me Metropolis any day.” 

“If I’m keeping you from something I’m sure I can go around on my own.” 

“No I promised Chloe I’d give you the grand tour and the grand tour it is.” 

“Right,” MC said, “so what else is there to see?” 

Well to the left we have the flower shop, to the right we have Fordham’s and more importantly,” Lois said pulling on MC’s arm. “Here is the pizza shop.” 

Lois ordered and grabbed two fountain cups and made her way to a table MC trailing behind. Sitting down Lois looked at MC a long moment. 

“I still say you, are a dead ringer for Smallville.” 

“I look like the town?” 

“No your brother, Clark. It’s a nickname I have for him.” 

“Oh are you and Clark…” 

“What? No. Of course not, me and Smallville, only possible in an alternate reality,” Lois laughed. 

“Oh okay.” 

“So how did you find out about Clark?” 

“Oh, well uh-“

“MC?” 

MC spun and stood in surprise, “Tess? What are you doing here?” 

“I have to supervise a team out here. I stopped to grab a bite. Do you live here?” 

“For the time being, I’m actually staying with your boss.” 

“That sexist ass?” 

“Lex?”

“Oh that boss, I have a few people between me and him.”

“What is LuthorCorp doing in Smallville?” Lois interrupted. “More bodies to bury?” 

“Who is your friend? She is quite delightful,” Tess said. 

“Lois Lane, reporter.” 

“I see, no comment,” Tess said sliding towards the counter. 

“I’ll be right back,” MC said. 

“No, I want to know what’s she’s trying to hide.” 

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about I want to ask her to dinner.” 

“So, I’ll be silent, you won’t even know I’m there.” 

“I really don’t want to ask her out with you as my shadow.” 

“Ask her out?” 

“As in a date? I like women Lois, and Tess Mercer is a very beautiful woman.” 

“Oh! Right, I’ll be over here then finishing my pizza.” 

“Thanks,” MC said with a grin. She walked over to Tess and stood with her back to Lois. 

“So I’m going to pretend to ask you out on a date. Then we are going to run away together,” MC whispered. 

“She’s that bad?” 

“Worse,” MC sighed. 

Tess grinned and pulled MC to her for a kiss shocking the other girl, though it was a simple press of lips. 

 

“You surprised me.” 

“Yes, but she is no longer staring we can make our escape,” Tess said paying for the small box.

“Oh,” MC said following Tess out the door, to a small hybrid parked outside. She unlocked the doors and gestured for MC to enter on the passenger side.

“You know she might still follow us.” 

“Then we’ll just have to give her something to see,” Tess said, starting the car. She took a slice out of the box and took a bite as she pulled onto the road. “Want one?” 

“I’m fine,” MC said, strapping her seatbelt as she realized why Tess had been so calm in that cab. She drove just as quickly. 

“Relax.” 

“I am relaxed.” 

“Your death grip on the seatbelt states otherwise.” 

MC calmly placed her hands in her lap and tried her hardest to ignore the speed. With Lex she had been invulnerable, and always thought should the worst happen he could use his strength and speed to get them both to safety. 

They arrived at Crater Lake without incident and saw that there was already a LuthorCorp presence. Trucks were lined up near the water, and he could see a few residents watching from a distance, as tools were set up at the water’s edge. 

“Tess glad you could join us,” Lex said and the woman smiled at her boss. 

“Not a problem, its been said I need more experience delegating,” Tess said smoothly as MC slipped from the passenger side. 

“MC,” Lex said with a small glance. 

“Tess rescued me from Lois.” 

“I’m sure Ms. Lane will find other ways to occupy her Saturday afternoon.” 

“As long as I’m kept out of them,” MC said. 

“Well, Tess and I have a few things to discuss. Would you wait for me by that truck,” Lex point and MC nodded. It looked no different from the other four but who knew what Lex had in that particular one. 

MC wandered over and decided to call Chloe, and warn her about ditching Lois.” 

“You have great timing; I just stopped for a Mocha break.” 

“That’s good,” MC said wondering if she should tell Chloe the truth. “Uh, I sorta ditched Lois.” 

“Already? Well, she’s not back at the Talon.” 

“Yeah sorry, she started on the third degree, and I had no idea what to say.” 

“How’d you get away?” 

“I left with Tess,” MC said glancing at the woman in question who had her head down looking at a file in her hands, even as she spoke to Lex. 

“The Tess you were flirting with on Friday?”

“We were not flirting.” 

“Sure.” 

“Anyway, I know you were busy but did you come up with anything about Oliver and his research?” 

“Hold on a sec,” Chloe said and MC could hear the jiggling of keys as she let herself back into her home. “Right I set up something to-“

“Remember I’m not as smart as you when it comes to this stuff?” MC pointed out knowing a full techno-babble was approaching. 

“I set up something like a search engine to see what Oliver’s been up to in regards to the Lake.” 

“And?”

“Nothing,” Chloe said and the furious clicking of keys could be heard.

“Nothing?” MC asked. “What about meteor rocks?” 

“There are multiple search strings.” 

“But he said he sent some people to look it over.” 

“If he did there is no digital trail, I’m sorry. Maybe he just hasn’t had the chance yet. It must take time to set something like this up.” 

MC looked around her and the mobile workspace Lex had gathered in a few hours. 

“Right.” 

“Let’s give it until the end of the week. Maybe he’s just been making a few calls. There are plenty of reasons there wouldn’t be any information yet.” 

“It’s Saturday.” 

“Oh I mean Friday.” 

“Yeah, sure,” MC said as Lex approached. “Look I have to go, Tess is coming back.” 

“Okay, come by and drag me away for dinner.” 

“It’s a date,” MC said forcing cheer into her voice. None of this was Chloe’s fault.” 

“I’ve been called many things in my day. But Tess?” Lex asked smirking. 

“Well, I haven’t told Chloe about this.” 

“I see.” Lex knocked on the door to the truck they were standing near and the back opened.

“Come on,” he said as steps descended for them. Inside was what looked like a hospital emergency room.”

A woman was standing in a white lab coat, a bright yellow and black striped stethoscope around her neck. “Like it? My niece got it for me, says I’m a born Hufflepuff.” 

“It’s nice.” 

“Ready to lose a pint or two?” She asked smiling as she pulled out a tray full of sterile materials.

“I guess.” 

****

Oliver entered the pizza shop, his plan a peace offering for Chloe who he was sure was still buried in work and was surprised to see Lois there. 

“Lois.” 

“Oliver,” she said indicating a seat. 

“How are you?” He asked even as Lois said. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I asked Chloe to do some things for me. This is a peace offering,” he said. 

“She’d likely prefer a mocha latte,” Lois pointed out. 

“I know but she should eat too.” 

“Does this have anything to do with Luthorcorp in town?” 

“What?” 

“Once of them showed up, she was very tight lipped about everything, not like she was even very high up. I’ve never heard of Tess Mercer.” 

“Tess Mercer?” 

“Are you sure that’s her name?” 

“I’m sure.” 

“I have to go.” 

“I’m coming with you!” 

“Lois-“

“No arguments,” she said standing. Let’s go, daylights wasting.” Oliver stared before grinning. 

“How could I say no to that? Wait how do you know where they are?”

“I have a good idea,” Oliver said darkly. 

“Anything to do with what Chloe is working on?” 

“No, Chloe is strictly behind the scenes.” 

Right, together they drove towards Crater Lake and Lois looked him over. “This isn’t some ploy to get me to a secluded location is it?” 

“I like my limbs intact thanks,” Oliver said grinning. “When we get there let me handle this.” 

“Right of course,” Lois lied.

“Do you see Lex anywhere?” Lois asked even as Oliver was already heading out of the car. 

“No.” 

“Mercy?” 

“Will wonders never cease, Oliver Queen, what brings you to Smallville.” 

“I could ask you the same.” 

“Unlike some people I have to work for a living.” 

“Don’t be like that Mercy.” 

“Fine, wha-“

“What are you up to? Illegal dumping? Burying bodies?” 

“Lois wasn’t it?” Tess said. “The Inquisitor has no place here.” 

“I have a duty to report the truth.” 

“And I have a job to do,” Mercy said turning away. 

“Surely you have time for an old friend?” 

“I have no such thing,” Tess said strolling towards a tent was acting as a command center. 

“Mercy!” Oliver called though the woman did not slow or turn back. 

“Was there something you wanted Queen?” Lex asked causing the man to whirl not having realized Lex was behind him. 

“Lex.” Oliver said lazily before he caught sight of MC. He walked quickly to her snatching her arm and pulling her off to the side of the truck. “What kind of game are you playing at?” 

“I could ask you the same thing. Were you ever going to help me?” MC asked wrenching her arm free. 

“Of course.” 

“So why is it that Lex got this set up and ready in less than an hour, and in a week I’ve seen nothing.” 

“You can’t trust him.” 

“So, people have been telling me for years,” MC snapped, this time she would stand with Lex. For better or worse, she had done it many times, Lex would lie, he was Lex Luthor. But he did not break his word. He said he would find a cure and a cure he would find. 

MC and Oliver both jumped as the truck started to move, heading to its destination to prepare blood samples. It was then she noticed two of the other trucks have started to move as well. Lex was nothing if not efficient. 

“Come on MC, I’m sure this group is not good for your health Tess can handle the situation from here,” Lex said gently leading her to his car and ignoring both Oliver and Lois. 

“Thank you Lex.” 

“It’s fine Clark. Oliver is nothing but a bully.” 

“Not that. After everything you are helping me.” 

“Clark-“ 

“No wait, let me finish this. I kept trying to make you like me. No one who grew up the way you had to, who had to do the things you do everyday could ever be like me. Your best still wasn’t good enough, I was stupid.” 

“We both were. I should have never allowed you to have such power over me. You were a teenager. A very innocent sheltered teenager, who still blushes when kissed by a pretty girl.”

“She told you that?”

“Tess likes to tease.” 

“How well do you know her?” 

Lex sighed and pulled over on the side of the road. “I am telling you this in the interest of honesty. Do no pull out that famous Kent indignation.” 

“I do not-“

“That would be it.” 

“Sorry. Go ahead.” 

“I am training Tess to be my right hand. She has a brilliant mind, and it would be nice to have at least one person I could trust that was not out for my blood.” 

“Just don’t marry her,” Clark said with a grin. 

“Well if we don’t find a cure I could marry you. You are much too noble to try to murder your husband.” 

“Funny. Did you tell her to follow me at the museum?” 

“No, she knew who you were, or who Mary Clara was claiming to be. She took it upon herself to go meet you.” 

“She reminded me of you the entire time.” 

“How so?” 

“Walking, breathing, brilliant, beautiful textbook, that’s interesting.” 

“Beautiful?” 

“Oh um, I meant Tess for that last part.” 

“Of course, I will drop you off at the manor, and I will head off to supervise the first leg of testing. I will contact you once we have made any progress and with an estimated time table,” Lex said as shifted the car back into gear and started moving. 

“This is so fast.” 

“I have been researching these rocks for years now Clark. A lot of this is standard protocol for what we do with the green meteor fragments.”

“Kryptonite.” 

“What?”

“That’s the name. Green meteor rock, Kryptonite.” 

“And the other hues?” 

MC blushed. “Red Kryptonite.” 

“I see. I will want an explanation of that word.” 

“Okay,” MC said wondering how she could explain. 

“I’m sure its tied to why, meteo- kryptonite affects you differently from everything else.” 

 

PART VI

 

MC looked at Lex and glanced back to the sheets of lead keeping her safe. When he had called her over just hours after taking her blood, she had expected something else to be going on. She rubbed at her arm, where the maroon and gold bandage still sat. 

"How did you find it so fast?" MC asked.

"What you told me, it had not only converted your gender but your abilities were gone as well. We knew the green rock did that and that  
the red could cause an emotional change, but one would not override the other. With your weakness, we worked with the idea that you were under a combination effect."

"But I haven't been sick," MC pointed out.

"Yes you have, the loss of your abilities is due to the green rocks which also allows you to be affected by the pink."

"Pink?"

"Yes, pink meteor rock turns you into a girl. Interestingly enough it caused flowers to germinate. Further testing on other subjects wasn't necessary at the moment."

"Right so it will turn me back?"

"No, it would simply attempt to turn you into a mutant."

"A mutant?"

"An XXX or so we assume. What we found was actually at Hobs Pond. Strangely enough a strain of red and pink mixed meteor rock. It had been collected nearly a year ago and stored to be studied later."

"Weird."

"There is one problem."

"What?"

"We have to expose you to green meteor rock to instigate a change. Without it, the rock seems to remain dormant. With the additional element the cells in your body weaken and reform into their original designation. 

“I believe this is why you have been having fainting spells. When your cells try to recover from exposure they attempt to make themselves as they once were. Male.” 

“So we have to poison me to get this to work?” MC said leaning heavily against a wall. “Are you sure you can’t find another way?” 

“I’m not sure we would, but if we have a few more months of research we may be able to work an alternative.” 

“How dangerous is this?” 

“We found that UV radiation boosts your cells. But I will not lie to you. There is a nine percent risk of failure, both of locking you in this form, or having no effect. And a seven percent chance of fatality.” 

“Seven percent.”

“It drops between two and three with the addition of radiation. We do not have to do this now.”

“Will you ever be able to get it down to zero?” 

“There will always be some risk.” 

“No let’s do this,” MC said determined. 

“Is there anything else I should know? Anything that could keep you safe?” 

“No, I didn’t even know about the sun.” 

“That’s a wonder the way you sprawl out in it like an over fed cat.” 

“It feels good, I didn’t know it was actually doing something.”

“Right, just stand over that X.” 

“Wait where are you going?” MC asked as Lex walked to the other side of the room. 

“I sent everyone home. With the excuse of gathering more samples, and preparing for more tests tomorrow.” 

“And they believed you?” 

“They are paid to believe what I tell them. I assumed you did not want your secret getting out so soon.” 

“Thank you.” MC said again her voice falling quiet.” 

“You have to be fully exposed for a minute for the cells to weaken enough and to decreasing levels of green kryptonite followed by the multi strand.” 

“Okay,” MC said taking a deep breath as Lex stood behind a console. 

“Ten…nine…eight.” 

“Wait!” Lex froze as MC closed the distance to them. She grabbed Lex and kissed the shocked man, before moving back to her place. “Right okay.” 

“Seven…six…” MC was forming her lips to say five when pain and blackness engulfed her. Lex watched as MC fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Lex watched in fascinated horror as her skin took on a green hue and, veins started bulging from her skin, it flexed and boiled, and made MC look like something inhuman. 

Lex was not so distracted that the moment for the fused strain of kryptonite was not reached. He hit that switch and waited, slowly lowering the green shielding as he heard fabric tear. That was a good sign. 

From this angle he could not see the change happening, but he would trust the readings that had gotten. Not even half a second as he sealed off the last of the green radiation he shut off the other. 

He walked around the console to where Clark was lying, male, unconscious and what was left of MC’s clothing draped like rags on his body. He turned on the UV lights and saw some color return to Clark’s cheeks but he was not breathing. 

“Oh no you don’t you will explain that kiss,” Lex snarled as he started CPR. As he lowered his head to breathe air into Clark’s lungs a second time the man sputtered and sat up weakly.

“If you vomit on me I will make you a woman again.”

Clark laughed and moaned, ”Ow.” 

“Come one up, let’s get you out in real sunlight,” Lex said helping a very unstable Clark to his feet. 

Clark looked at the tatters of fabric that used to be his clothes, and Lex grabbed a lab coat from the back of a chair and handed it to Clark. 

“Thanks,” he said slowly and gingerly sliding it on. 

Together they walked out into the entrance of the warehouse, and into the bright afternoon sun. Just after a few minutes Clark stood taller his head tilted towards the sun, feeling better than he had in a long time. 

“So Clark, would you like to explain that kiss?” 

“Well when else would I get a chance to do it and not have it be weird? Well, weirder.” 

“Right now.” 

“What? But I’m-”

“As you were born? Yes I happen to like this version of you just fine. Though the occasional reappearance of MC would not upset me greatly.” 

“Uh.” 

“Relax Clark. We have a much more important conversation to have.” 

“We do?” 

“Kryptonite Clark. That word isn’t exactly Kwachte.” 

“Right, so once upon a time, there was a town. It was a pretty ordinary town, if a little small. This town was called Smallville. And one day a great tragedy fell upon the town as fire rained from the sky… 

End


End file.
